1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
Not the beautiful, shadowy doom that Montgomery Clift brought to the screen, for instance, or the troubled, mischievous sharpness that Jeffrey Wright and Regina Hall lend to their work, but something as warming as sunshine and just as seductive.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
In this song, Cece, Cody, and JJ dress up in adorable skeleton costumes and dance around the house like mischievous little Halloween spirits.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025
Minutes after the Pittsburgh Penguins had just put the finishing touches on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, a satisfied Erik Karlsson had a mischievous grin on his face that hadn’t been seen much during his first two seasons with the Penguins.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Despite all the new elements at play, Shushu/Tong’s mischievous charm remains carefully choreographed.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
In this song, Cece, Cody, and JJ dress up in adorable skeleton costumes and dance around the house like mischievous little Halloween spirits.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025
Minutes after the Pittsburgh Penguins had just put the finishing touches on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, a satisfied Erik Karlsson had a mischievous grin on his face that hadn’t been seen much during his first two seasons with the Penguins.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Despite all the new elements at play, Shushu/Tong’s mischievous charm remains carefully choreographed.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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Misiorowski had made Edman look foolish in their first matchup, getting the infielder to swing through a wicked curveball.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Carpenter’s suggestive travel neck pillow is the hook here — as a reminder, these ShopTV sketches are all about the naughty sight gags and double entendres.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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In a viral Reddit post, a naughty cat dipped his paws in pasta sauce turning his fur orange—now the stains won’t go away.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli is charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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This connection would become increasingly important over the twentieth century, as the rapid development of technological infrastructure created ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous sensitivities to geomagnetic storms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Puma sneakers bring a sleek, sporty vibe with metallic silver accents, while the Lucky Step sneakers add playful texture with mesh detailing.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
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In fact, Golden State was feeling so confident that their television network decided to take a playful jab at Lakers superstar LeBron James.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
FarmVille wasn’t bad, but something was missing.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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The asteroid impact triggered one of the planet's worst mass-extinction events, wiping out all dinosaurs but birds.—
DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The findings come just a couple years after another study conducted by Spanish and Brazilian researchers revealed the existence of potentially harmful bisphenol chemicals in clothing sold in Spain for pregnant women, newborns and toddlers.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
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According to one study, people may become either psychologically or physically dependent on caffeine, which may be harmful.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And the first person viewers saw on-screen this week was Patterson’s fellow newcomer Jeremy Culhane—a fresh face to those who have never encountered social-media clips of his impish appearances on the niche comedy streamer Dropout.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
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The impish Reeves brings puppy-dog codependence to the scruffy Estragon, who leans on Vladimir as his body and memory fail him.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe and some people are at even higher risk of adverse effects, warned the agency, including young children, people of child-bearing age and people who are breastfeeding.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Given an adverse court ruling (related to another firm) that was adverse to Netflix, management recognized the expense this quarter.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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